Fuel-supply system for motor vehicles



March 30 1926. 1,578,985

0. R- GRASS FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed yov. 50; 1925 Patented Mar. 3i),-19Z6..

; J-UNI'T ED STATES OLIVER a. emissor snLoUI's, ivr ssounrf FUEL-SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES-."7

Application filed November 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,176.-Iif .1 1

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, OLIVER R. GRASS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Fuel-Supply System for Motor Vehicles, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to a fuel supply system for motor vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a fuel supply system for motor vehicles having means for maintaining in the fuel tank a supply of gasoline which cannot pass to the carburetor through the normally used opened for draining and cleaning purposes.

the carburetor.

companying drawing, in which Fig. 1 tion. I I

Fi 2 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 3 is a sectionalviewof the pipe, and

is a front elevation of theinvenvalve structure controlling the auxiliary supply of gasoline. v

The gasoline tank 1 is arranged to receive gasoline through an opening provided with a removable closure cap 2 of familiar construction. An overflow pan 3 catches the overflow gasoline and has a pipe 4 extending downwardly and opening to the outside.

A sediment chamber 5 has a pipe 6 open-" ing through the bottom of the tank 1 andv is provided with a valve '1' which may be The normallyused pipe for conducting gasoline'from'the chamber 5 to the carburetor of the engine comprises a pipe section 8 from which a pipe section 9 rises to a plane above the bottom of the tank 1, and a latorally and downwardly extended pipe section 10 opening into the pipe 11 leading to An air vent pipe 12 from the pipe branch 9 extends upwardly and is provided with a laterally and downwardly extended portion 13 opening into the upper end of the pipe 4. The part 13 of the pipe 12 is above the level of the liquid contained 7 in the tank 1, so thatthere will be .no

of gasoline throu'ghsaidpipe 12. The-pipe 12 serves to prevent the gasoline from siphoning out of'the tank 1 to the carburetor.

The pipe branch Sis connected with the pipe branch 10 by a pipe connection 14 in 'which a valve 15 is mounted (Fig; 8) whereby communication to the pipe branch 10 through the connection 14 may be opened or closed, as desired. The valve 15 is provided with a handle 16 whereby the valve may be operated.

In normal use the valve 15 is kept closed,

so that the gasoline. passingfrom the tank 1 to the carburetor must pass around the valve 15 through the pipe branches 9 and 10. This prevents withdrawal of a certain quantity of gasoline from the tank 1. l/Vhen the-level of the gasoline in the tank 1 falls below the upper end of the branch pipes 9 and 10 no more gasoline can pass to the engine and the engine will stop, leaving a reserve amount of gasoline in the tank 1. The motorist may then open the valve 15 permitting use of the reserve supply of gasoline which should be suliicient to enable the motorist to reach a gasoline supply station." Thus the invention serves a highly useful purpose and enables the motorist to maintain a reserve supply of gasoline at all times and without necessity of'ins pecting the amount of gaso line contained in the tank, as might otherwise be necessary.

I am aware that the invention may be varied within equivalent limits without de- 'parture from the'nature and principle thereof. I do not restrict myself unessentially, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a liquid tank havin an inlet 0 enin throu h the to a z: c: a v pan arranged to rece ve overflow from said opening and having its bottom below the top of saidopening, a pipe opening downwardly from the bottom of said pan, and a chamber below and opening into the. bottom of the tank, of a pipe opening laterally from said chamber below thebottom'of the tank, a valve'for opening and closing said i e an inverted U-sha Jed i e havinrr its arms opening into said second pipe at the opposite sides of said valve, and having its upper portion substantially above the bot-' tom of the tank, and a pipe extending upwardly' from said U-shaped pipe and thence downwardly and opening into said firstnamed pipe and being entirely below the upper portion of said inlet opening.

2. The combination with a liquid tank having an inlet opening through the top, a pipe arranged to receive overflow from said opening and having its upper end below the top of said opening, and a chamber below and opening into the bottom of the tank, of a pipe opening laterally from said chamber below the bottom of the tank, a valve for opening and closing said pipe, an inverted pipe extending upwardly from said U- shaped pipe and thence downwardly and opening into said first-named pipe and being entirely below the upper portion of said inlet opening.

OLIVER R. GRASS. 

